Means for positioning objects



' Aug. 15, 1944.

A. H. GROVER Filed Aug. 7, 1942 MEANSv FOR POSITIONING OBJECTS fng FigEl Elma/whoa Patented Aug. 15, 1944 2,355,643 MEANS FOR POSITIONINGOBJECTS Atwood H. Grover, Rockaway, N. J. I AppIicationAugust 7, 1942,Serial No. 454,080

(Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as amended April 30, 1928; 3-700. G. 757) 1 7 Claims.

The invention described herein may be manuf factured' and used by or forthe Government for governmental purposes, without the payment to me ofany royalty thereon.

This invention relates to means for positioning objects.

An object of this invention is to provide apparatus for quicklyorienting bodies in a given direction from a condition in which thebodies are oriented in random directions with respect to themselves andwith respect to said given direction.

Another object of this invention is to provide apparatus for orientingthe position of bodies; simultaneously, some of the bodies undergo aseparation as they are oriented.

In particular, thisinvention has application and relates to means forthe separation and racking of small cups or tubes having one open endand oneclosed end, or one open end and one partially closed end; thisinvention may also be applied in the separation and racking of bodiesnot containing hollow portions.

The specific nature of the invention as well as other objects andadvantages thereof will clearly appear from a description of a preferredembodiment as shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of apparatus embodying a preferred form ofmy-invention, but with the racking tray removed.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the racking tray surface which is placed inadjacent relationship to the surfac shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a plan view of the pin plate II] which lies behind the guideblock II shown in Figure 1 and which is normally permanently assembledthereto by fastening means similar to screws 20.

Figure 4 is a side view of one of the bullet shaped pins which isnormally held on the pin plate Ill in semi-fixed relationship as bymeans of a press fit between pin shank I 4a and pin plate hold Illa.

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken substantially on corresponding lines55 of Figure 1 but with the racking tray I2 of Figure 2 mounted inposition.

Figure 6 is a sectional view taken substantially on corresponding lines6-6 of Figure 1 but with the racking tray of Figure 2 mounted inposition.

Figure 7 is a sectional view taken substantially on line 'I-'l of Figure1 but with the racking tray of Figure 2 mounted in position; the flap I5is shown in dotted lines in its other extreme position.

Figure 8 is a perspective view partly broken away of one of theplurality of objects which may be separated and oriented by using theapparatus of Figures 1-7.

Figure 9 is a, perspective view of a solid cylindrical object which mayalso be separated and oriented by using the apparatus of Figures 1-7provided the pins I4 are not assembled on the pin plate Ill.

2 guide block II so as to cooperate With flange elements I3a, I32), I ininclosing a predetermined area corresponding to the area of racking trayI2.

The pin plate I0 is joined to guide block II by fastening means similarto screws 20 and flange elements I3a, I3b, I3c are joined to guide blockI 5 by fastening means similar to screws 2 I.

Flap I5 is mounted on the guide block I I by means of a pair of hinges22, 23. The hinges 22, 23 may be of any of the well known types as longas they allow the flap I5 to assume the two extreme positions shown inFigure 7. The particular hinge 22 shown herein and which is a duplicateof hinge 23 is of the type which comprises two parts 22a, 22binterlinked by means of a common cylindrical pin 24.

The pin plate ID has pins I4 shown in Figure 4 fastened thereto by pressfitting when objects of the type shown in Figure 8 are to be separatedand/or oriented; pins I4 are not mounted on pin plate I0 when objects ofthe type shown in Figure 9 are to be separated and/or oriented.

It is noted that guide block II has a plurality of hollow cylindricalportions I Ia therein having a diameter or opening correspondinglygreater than the dimensions of the objects, which are to be separatedand/or oriented. The hollow portions Ila are preferably joined by aflared portion II b which serves as a guide for movement of objects tobe separated and/or oriented into the hollow portions Ila.

It is also noted that pin I4 has a nose shaped like that of a bulletwith a minute radius provided for the point and an intermediatecurvature starting down four fifths of the diameter of the pin, theradius of said curvature being three eighths larger than the diameter ofpin I4. When the pin I4 is assembled on the pin plate I 0 it is notedthat the extreme end of the pin nose extends a small distance into thespace defined by the guide block flared section I lb.

Objects are separated and/or oriented by the following expedient.Initially a bulk lot of components or objects are placed on the upperface of the guide block with the flap I held up in the vertical positionshown in full lines in Figure 7 so that the components or objects may bebrushed back and forth over the upper guide block face within theinclosed area defined by flange l3 and flap i5. In the back and forthmotion of the components or objects over the guide block face eventuallythe open end of a hollow object or component finds its way over the noseof pin l4 and then quickly falls into the hollow portion delined byguide block portion Illa. The excess objects or components are thenbrushed off the block guide upper face very conveniently by brushingthem in the direction of flap l5 but with the flap in the downwardposition shown in dotted lines in Figure '7. Racking tray l2 havingindentations l2a in one face thereof in exact geometric pattern as thhollow guide block portions Ha is then placed on the guide block upperface with indentations l2a facing downward; the racking plate isautomatically centered on the guide block when flap I5 is raised to itsupper position shown in full lines in Figure '7 and immediatelythereafter the complete assembly is turned over so that the objects tobe separated and/or oriented rest upon the racking tray l2 in theracking tray indentations IZa. The guide block is then separated fromthe racking tray l2 by raising the guide block ll upward with theracking tray I2 conveniently resting upon a table (not shown) or othersuitable support.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for positioning objects comprising, a plate having aplurality of pins mounted thereon in spaced relationship and with pinaxes substantially mutually parallel, a guide block mounted on the plateand having a hollow cylindrical portion surrounding a corresponding pin,a tray mounted on the guide block, said tray having a plurality ofspaced hollow portions each of which is aligned with the axis of acorresponding pin.

2. Apparatus for positioning hollow objects comprising a plurality ofpins, means for mounting the pins in spaced relationship to one anotherand with pin axes substantially mutually parallel, said pins beingadapted to be inserted into the hollow objects, means adapted to guidethe objects in inserted relationship to the pins, a tray havingindentations therein, and means for mounting said tray with itsindentations aligned with the corresponding axes of the pins.

3. Apparatus for positioning hollow objects comprising, a plate having aplurality of pins mounted thereon with their axes substantially mutuallyparallel, a guide block having a plurality of hollow portions each ofwhich at least partially surrounds a corresponding pin, said blockhollow portions terminating in a flared portion adapted to, guide. thehollow objects, said pin being adapted to be inserted into the hollowobjects, a tray having'indentations therein and guide means forpositioning each tray indentation in aligned position with acorresponding pin.

4. Apparatus for positioning objects comprising, a guide block having aplurality of hollow portions therein with their axes substantiallymutually parallel each hollow portion having a pin centrally locatedtherein, a tray having indentations therein, and means for aligning thetray indentations with corresponding block hollow portions.

5. Apparatus for positioning objects comprising, a guide block having aplurality of hollow portions therethrough with their axes substantiallymutually parallel, a plate contacting the guide block and closing oneend of each of the hollow portions, the opposite ends of the'hollowportions each having a flared portion, pins mounted on the plate and oneof each extending centrally within a corresponding block hollow portion,said pinsextending somewhat less than the length of the block hollowportions and each having a pointed end adjacent said flared portion, aflange mounted on the block, a flap mounted on the block, and a trayhaving indentations therein each of which are adapted to be aligned bycooperation of the flap with the flange.

6. An apparatus for positioning objects comprising a guide block havinga plurality of hollow portions with their axes substantially parallel, atray having indentations therein, a flap mounted on the block andforming a flange in one of its movable positions, means including theflap for aligning the tray indentations with corresponding hollow blockportions, and a pin centrally mounted in corresponding block hollowportions.

'7. An apparatus for positioning objects comprising a guide block havinga plurality of hollow portions with their axes substantially parallel, atray having indentations therein, a flange on the block, a flap mountedon the block, said flap and flange serving to align the tray.indentations with corresponding block hollow portions, and a pincentrally mounted in corresponding hollow block portions.

ATWOOD H. GROVER

